In this episode, we attached the sill plate, rim joist, floor joists and decking for the addition. There wasn’t much hands on for Claude and Becky, but Ben was pretty involved, especially with the heavy lifting.

Jon brought in an excavator for the heavy digging, but we poured both phases of the concrete by hand, wheeling it up the drive from the truck by wheelbarrow, and lifting it to pour in place. Had Ben and Tim around for both phases, and Tim’s friend Keith for the second phase. Really gives some…

Had to rip out the existing basement bathroom with toxic abatement for (non-hazardous) mold behind the shower insert and under the raised floor platform as well as the old asbestos tile flooring in the kitchen area, before starting in on structural work in the area. Still need a bathroom down there though, so we cleverly…

So this was pretty much all brute force, and done entirely by Ben and Claude. Becky did not participate in the whole sledge hammer phase, though the guys tried to convince her it was satisfying.

This was extra exciting because it meant moving the plumbing for the sink relocation, and moving the electric panel that was in the middle of a wall that would soon not exist. We called in some experts for that. Then we saved the windows, took down the walls, opened the roof up to the sky,…

Had to move the kitchen sink from the U-shaped extension at the back of the house that sat between the back porches on either side. This passage provided access from the kitchen to the dining room back in the day (like last week). It’s one quaint feature that was common for it’s era but that…

Well, not really step one, but first thing on to do list for the first physical work day of the project. College freshman Tim and his buddy Keith helped.